Oklahoma Panhandle State University Women's Basketball team faced a challenging matchup against receiving votes team in Wayland Baptist on. Despite the loss, the Aggies showcased resilience and promising performances throughout the game.
In the first quarter, OPSU found themselves trailing 15-20 against a formidable Wayland Baptist squad. The Aggies demonstrated their sharpshooting with an impressive 40% success rate from beyond the arc and a commendable 42% field goal percentage.
The second quarter proved to be a test of the Aggies' fortitude as Wayland Baptist surged ahead with a 13-0 run, establishing a halftime score of OPSU 24, Wayland 40. However, the third quarter witnessed a remarkable defensive effort from OPSU, holding Wayland to just 14 points while scoring 9 themselves.
In the final quarter, OPSU continued to fight valiantly, breaking through Wayland's press and executing well-coordinated offensive plays. Despite their efforts, OPSU concluded the game with a final score of 51-77 in favor of Wayland Baptist.
Noteworthy individual performances highlighted the Aggies' tenacity. Molly Jones contributed 10 points, Sierra Tate demonstrated an all-around performance with 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists, and Heidi Rodriguez, coming off the bench, added 14 points with a remarkable 4-7 from beyond the arc. Jana Rodavanovic showcased her skills with 8 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Head Coach Maria Wiltzius expressed optimism after the game, stating, "I love seeing the progress these girls have shown. We are young in the sense we have only been around each other for three weeks, but we are playing good basketball. We just have to minimize some of those big runs, and we will be in games with our style of play."
The OPSU Women's Basketball team will have a week off before facing Hastings College in a non-conference game at home on Tuesday, December 19th, at noon.
